In recent years there has been some concern that some long lived fluorocarbons might be contributing, albeit in a small way, to global warming. Consequently, there is a worldwide effort to use fluorine-substituted hydrocarbons which have short atmospheric lifetime and therefore do not persist in the atmosphere. In this regard, (Z)-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (1233zd(Z)) having low global warming potential, is being considered as a replacement for some fluorocarbons such as 141b in solvents and as a blowing agent.
The production of 1223zd(Z) has been the subject of interest to provide an environmentally desirable product for use in blowing agents, refrigerants, cleaning agents, aerosol propellants, heat transfer media, dielectrics, fire extinguishing compositions and power cycle working fluids. It is known in the art to produce fluorocarbons such a 1233zd(Z) by reacting hydrogen fluoride with various hydrochlorocarbon compounds.
Because many CFCs are known to be ozone-depleting compounds, the use of these compounds has been curtailed in favor of chemicals that are more commercially acceptable. In some cases, alternate CFC compounds have been found to be both effective and more environmentally friendly.
As one example, 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (1233zd) has been found to have a wide variety of uses, for example as a heat transfer agent, as a foaming agent, and as a solvent, among other uses. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,833,433, entitled “Heat Transfer Methods Using Heat Transfer Compositions Containing Trifluoromonochloro-propene”, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008-0207788, entitled “Foaming Agents, Foamable Compositions, Foams and Articles Containing Fluorine Substituted Halogens, and Methods of Making the Same”, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,383, entitled “Hydro-Fluorination of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons”, which disclose examples of such uses.
The compound 1233zd may be produced by a number of different methods. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,829,747, entitled “Process for Dehydrofluorination of 3-chloro-1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropane to 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,352, entitled “Vapor Phase Process for Making 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane and 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,150, entitled “Method for Producing 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,844,475, entitled “Low Temperature Production of 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HCFC-1233zd)”, which describe several methods for making 1233zd.
All of the documents cited above are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.